Students Stage Protest at Kodam V/Brawijaya over Andrie Yunus Case

Dozens of students affiliated with BEM Nusantara Jawa Timur staged a protest at the Kodam V/Brawijaya headquarters in Surabaya on Thursday (9/4). They demanded transparency in the investigation of several violence cases allegedly involving TNI members, including the acid spraying against KontraS activist Andrie Yunus. Observations at the location showed the students wearing all-black attire. They unfurled posters and banners with protest messages such as ‘Thoroughly Investigate the Andrie Yunus Case’, ‘Return the TNI to the Barracks’, and ‘Reform is Not a Formality’. BEM Nusantara Jawa Timur Coordinator Deni Oktaviano Pratama stated that this action serves as a reminder for military institutions to operate within the corridors of law and humanity, including in the acid attack on Andrie Yunus allegedly carried out by dozens of TNI members. “The violence case against activist Andrie Yunus also indicates suspected inhumane violent practices. Public rejection of resolution through military courts shows that trust in the military institution’s internal mechanisms is in crisis,” said Deni. In other regions, Deni added, allegations of violence and abuse of authority, such as the stray bullet incident affecting a junior high school student in Gresik and a traffic accident involving military vehicles that claimed civilian lives, further reinforce a recurring pattern of weak accountability and minimal responsibility towards victims. According to him, no institution or individual should be immune from the law, including military personnel. The supremacy of law, he said, must be upheld without discrimination, and justice must side with the victims, not power. “We directed this action to the Kodam V/Brawijaya headquarters not without reason. As the representation of the TNI’s territorial strength in East Java, Kodam has moral, institutional, and command responsibility over various dynamics in its region,” he stated. “Our presence in front of Kodam is not an act of hostility towards the TNI institution, but rather a reminder that military strength must always align with humanitarian values, law, and democracy,” he added. Kodam V/Brawijaya, he said, should serve as a symbol of the institution’s moral responsibility, where the people’s voices must be heard, criticism accepted, and justice upheld. During the protest, the students presented at least seven main demands, including urging that every case involving civilians be tried in general courts, not military ones. This aims to ensure open and objective justice. “We demand transparent and comprehensive investigations into all cases involving TNI members in East Java and Indonesia. We demand that every case involving civilians be processed through general courts to ensure open and objective justice,” he said. Deni also added that this action specifically requests Kodam V/Brawijaya to actively push for the resolution of the case to the central level. “We urge the TNI institution, particularly Kodam V/Brawijaya, to provide recommendations and push to TNI Headquarters for immediate thorough investigation,” he added. Investigation Completed Previously, the TNI Military Police Centre had completed the investigation process in the acid spraying terror case against Andrie Yunus. TNI Kapuspen Major General Aulia Dwi Nasrullah stated that Puspom had handed over the case file, the suspects, and evidence to the Military Prosecutor (Otmil) II-07 Jakarta. “Today, Tuesday, 7 April 2026, the case file, suspects, and evidence of the criminal assault against Mr AY have been handed over from the Puspom TNI investigators to Otmil II-07 Jakarta,” Aulia said in his statement on Tuesday (7/4). According to him, the file will next be examined for completeness, both formally and materially. If deemed complete, the case will be brought to the Military Court II-08 Jakarta. “The suspects handed over number four individuals with initials: NDP, SL, BHW, ES, along with the evidence,” Aulia said.